Apparatus for extracting liquid from cloth.



APPLICATION FILED AUG. 15, 190B.

Patented Ju1y4, 1911.

.s SHEETS-BERT 1:

INVIA/T0 D. GBSSNER. vf v APPARATUS FOB EXTRAGTING'LIQUID PROM GLOTH.

APPLIQATIoN FILED 11116.15, 190s.

Patented July. 4, 1911.

r l l D. GBSSNER.

APPARATUS FOR EXTRAGTING LIQUID PROM GLOTH. n

APPLICATION FILED AUG.15, 1908.

996,637, Patented July 4,1911.

5 SHBBTS*BHEET 3.

y D. GESSNER. APPARATUS FOB. EXTRAGTING LIQUID PROM CLOTH.

Patented July 4, 1 911.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 4.'

APPLICATION FILE) AUG.15, 190B.

D. GBSSNER. APPARATUS FOB EXTBACTING LIQUID FROM CLOTH.

APPLIGATION FILED AUG. 15, 190s.

Patented July 4, 1911.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

. UNITED smTias-' y yiatrnn'i OFFICE DAVID GEssN-Emfor WoRcIis'rEB., M AssA'cIIU'snrTs.

AIiPAIuiTUs ron Dxfrnnc'rINe LIQUID FROM cLo'I'II.

Be it known that I, DAVID GEssNnR, a citizen ofthe United States, and a resident of Worcester, in ,the county of Worcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful lImprovement in Apparatus for Extracting Liquid from Cloth, of `which the following is a specification. 4

My invention relates to apparatus for eX- tracting liquid from cloth, such as shown, for instance, in Patent No. 883536 dated March 31, 1908, and is an improvement thereon.

Figure'l is an end view of my machine To all it mai/concern: I.- l'

showing its driving end with' a cloth-cradle' fronting the machine at the right. Fig. 2 shows the opposite end of my machine with the cradle fronting'the machine at the left.

Fig. 3 is a rear view-of my machine. Fig. 4 is atop view of my machine above the line A, B, shown in Figs. 1 and 2. F ig'. 5 is a top view of my machine below the line A, B.

Figs. 6 and 7 represent `a cross-section of my improved vacuum chamber, with the cover overlying the cloth shown in two 'different positions. Fig. 8 is a detail of the cover 90 and its roll '87, shown in Figs. 1, 2,.l

Fig. 9 is a detail of the slide 93 6 and7. and its connections, shown in Fig. 7 ,Y wherebythe vacuum may be varied.

In the'accompanying drawings, 1, 1, are the main frames of my machine to which are fastened a superstructure `consisting of uprights 2 and 3, with horizontal extensions 4 and 5. These uprights 2 and 3 are tied together at the top through connecting pieces, or ties 6,`and \the girts 7 vand 8. The main frames which are tied together by the girts 10, 11, 12 and 13, carry in front, resting on top of girt 13, a trough 14, which may ccntain water, and on top, centrally between the uprights 2 and 3, thevacuum chamber 9.

' y A t the bottom of the vacuum chamber 9 is located the exhaust port 15, with the'discharge pipe 16 for the passage of extracted liquid. On top of the vacuum chamber is located the spreader bar 17, and overhanging its slotted ymouth piece are the movable arms 18 and 19 that are keyed to a shaft 2 3 .carrying on one end the segment 21 operated by the worfn 20 through the hand wheel 22.

24 is the main ldriving-shaft of the malchine carrying lon one end the fast and loose pulleys 25 and 26\and a third pulley 27, and on its opposite end, just inside of the upright 2, the pinion 28, and atfits extreme- Speciication of Letters 'Patent Patented July `4, 1911, lpplicationled August 1908. Serial No. 448,739.

through the sprocket chain 30, drives the 'large sprocket 31 fast upon the arbor 32 of the revolving discharge cock within the exhaust port 15. The pinion 28 drives into the gear 33 immediately above it and fast end the small sprocket 29. The sprocket 29,.

upon an arbor 34 within a bearing fastened I to the rear upright 2, and outside of the uprlght 2 this arbor carries the small gear 35 which 'meshes into a larger gear 36 fast bearings of which are suspended .the folderarms 45 and 46. -The folder-arms 45 and 46- carry at their lower ends the final delivery-v rolls`47v and 48. The final delivery-roll 48l receives its motion 4'through a chain 49 from a sprocket 50 fast upon roll-44. Just inside of the driving pulley '25 a belt51 drives up `fromthe pulley 27 to the. pulley 52 keyed to the end of brush shaft 53. Immediately inside of pulley 52 upon the brush shaft 53 I is keyed a second pulley 54 and upon the opposite end of the brush shaft. 53 is keyed the pulley 55.jl A

The sprocket v, 41 (Figs. 2 and 4) turns loosely upon the shaft of the center feed-roll 61 and has some clutch pins meshing with other clutch pins in the clutch member 41 which isoperated by thelever handle 41 pivoted in the bracket 41', so that by operating the'le'ver handle 41 the center feedupon the draft roll 37. This draft-roll 37r roll 61 can be made to revolve and carry lthe cloth, or not, while the machine is in operation. -Upon the/opposite end of the center feed-roll 61 is the `sprocketv 73 which, i

through a chain 74, drives the sprocket. 75 fast' upon the journal o-f the front feedroll 65.

The pulley 54 uponthe brush shaft'53 through the belt 76 drives the pulleys 77 and 78 fast upon the large scroll rolls 58V and 59; the pulley 79 simply being a take-up `or belt.' tightener for the belt 76. On they other side of the machine, the pulley 55 on the brush shaft 53 drives through the belt 80 the pulley 81 fast uponv the end of beater shaft 56, which also carries the gear' `82 which meshes yinto the gear 83 immediately below and fast upon the end of beater shaft 57. Just between the pulley 81 and thetgear v82 upon the beater 'shaft 56, pulley not shownln the drawing, but'placed some distance from the machine and directly centralwith the same, and practically in line with the top of feed-roll 61. It first passes in the direction of 'the arrow between the beaters 56 and 57, which, by beating against it, 'partially openthe ro e. It then passesl between the large scrol rolls 58 and 59 which run at a high velocity of speed and open itY still more completely, so that by the time it passes through theswivel-rigging 60 onto the center-feed-roll 61, the cloth shall lhave been openedout in full width, and in that shape it passes around the roll 61, over idler 62 and under idler 63,' around idler 64, over.the frontfeed-roll 65 and thence\down to the cradle 66- on thev lloor.` From the cradle 66 the 'cloth passes upward again over and around friction-roll 67, onward between the small scroll-rolls 68 and 69 to the idlerV 70, whence it passes in the direction of the arrow, either straight down and around the roll 71 within the tank or trough 14, up over idler roll 72, over the stretcher bar 17 on top- 'of the vacuum'chamber 9; -or, it may pass directly from the roll to theroll 72, under it, onto'the stretcher bar 17 without passing throu h'. the tank 14. rom the stretcherbar 1 the cloth passes under the cover-roll 87, over the slotted mouthof the vacuum chamber 9, on and around the draftroll-37, around idlers 88 and 89, 'upward past the brush 53', over the rear top draftroll 44 to' the final delivery rolls 17 and 48, and'from there inffoldst'o the `floor. Y i While the opera-tion of opening thecloth atthe top entranceof themachine, and be'- fore its passage into thecloth cradle 66, and

from there onward to the vacuum chamber, and fromthere out of the machine'over the draft-roll 37 and top draft-roll 44,"is one a continuous o' eration', I, nevertheless deem it of `great a vantage'to havethe. irst two feed-rolls 61 and 165 under such control that,

155 loythej geration of the hand-lever 41", these manay while the-.main feed-roue? andA two-fe rolls can be made to work interthe top delivery rolli. 44 (with its accoml panying deliveryrolls47 and 48V)`cnti nue .at `a uniform rateofspeed.. This is donel this machine will necessarily vary in extent because different lkinds of cloth treated in of vlengthwise stretch during their passage over the slotted mouth of the machine. The

' eater'thevacuum used -for'extra'cting the iquid', or the more i'limsy the-goods to be:

lextractor and extract 1t.

treated, the' 'greater-this lengthwise stretchA 'I of thecloth at that point. Supposing, for

instance, this lengthening process of the cloth during its lpassage through the ma chine to amount"to5% on a certain .class of goods, and the feed of the cloth to be 25 yards per minute; then, while ,the draft' y rolls deliverl'OO yards of oods in fourmin-v vacuum chamberi1`r05 yards by that time; that is to say, 1005yards delivered by the feed-roll 65 plus theive yards'v additional caused by stretchin in length atthe mouth of themachine. herefore, as soon as this accumulation of stretched lcloth seems more than is safe tol have there, the operator throws the clutch member 41. ou't of' mesh with the clutch -member of sprocket .41, by pressing the hand lever 41 inward, thus stoppin feed-rolls 61 and 65 u ntil the'dra'ftroll 37 as caught up with and. hasdisposed of'this accumulation, whereupon the' lever 41^ may be reversed.- If it were not for this,

or a similar arrangement betweenv the lfeed-' Vrolls located beyond the vacuum chamber and those located: before it, `it would, be

necessary to, have two separate operations and apparatus,. namely :1 one for openingthe. 'i

cloth and one for extracting it.' f

It .will be noticed that inthe Patent No. 883536 above referred to,- the cloth is placed before the machine in the form of'a roll,` landwhen this is` not :done the: cloth must beplaced before it in a folded condition; 'that is to lsay, in full width.` This means that the rope of cloth coming from the washing machine has got `to beuntwisted and opened out in full width,'"either by hand or b a scutching machine or -opener fas-"- .tene to theceiling ofjth'e room. Whether it be don'e by hand-entirely, or through -a scutching machine, extra men'willbe necessary to do this; 01",'if the same men .who run .l the extractor are expected to do this-work,

then. the! extractor has got .'to'be vstopped whilethese men open out the cloth either by hand or' through the scutchingmachine.

Then, only, may.. they `place it before the j i In my machine, the cloth p anying drawings) suspended from the ceiling, and passed into .my machine' as aboveA described, the opening and extracting taking one and the saine time. The only place :at thing done to. interrupt the forward feed of the cloth before it reaches the vacuum chamis taken directly .,115 v. from the washing'machine, thrown into a" truck in the rpe form, in which it comes from the washer, andthen it is passedl through anfeye (not shown the accomber being an occasional throwing in and'out of mesh of the' clutch member 41 through the lever 41, andl for` the reason stated. Alll .this time, however, the operation beyond the vacuum chamber` is one unmterrupted one, thus making4 it possible to do in one hour what it now takes more than two hours to do, orto do with two men in the same time that it now-takes four men to do.

.By placing the feed-roll 37 close to the vacuum chamber 9, and by making the top portion of the chamber containing the slotted mouth overhangingthe same, vI shorten the distance between. the slotted mouth of the machine and the line .of contact of the cloth with the feed-roll 37, where the same begins to pull, by more than one half of the distance allowed in other machines of this class, and lI thus reduce very materially the stretch in thecloth above referred to, but

' taken care of by the clutch arrangement 41,

41 and 41". with strips of in Patent No.

Instead of a revolving roll cloth attached to it, as shown um chamber, I use roller 87 to which I attach a broad strip of leather 90, and this roller I hold fixed in its bearings in the swinging arms 18, 19, in such a manner that I canpay out, from time to time, a little more of this cover, as fast as it becomes worn by the friction of the cloth passing under it, where it overlies the slotted portion, or mouth, of the vacuum chamber.

Immediately in frontof the cover-roll 87, I locate another roller, which has cut in its circumference sharp threads, orl scrolls,'mak-- ing of it a spreader roll by havingthese threads divergefrom the center out toward the ends. However, this roll 91 is held sta-I tionary in the arms 18, 19, the same as coverroll 87.` As the sharp edges of the scrolls of this metal stretcher-roll 91 become worn and dull, I ease up on its vbearings and turn it a trifle and then fasten it again, so as toV present a new\ portion of its surface for action against the cloth, which thus becomes smoothed and freed from wrinkles between the stretcher-bars 17 and 91 immediately beore entering under the cover 90 fastened to the cover-roll 87. The rear edge'of cover 90 is looped, and this loop is filledall the way acrosswith steel balls, or heavylshot, ma ing it quite -heavy there. yet withal, yielding, so that the .cover will lie snug to the cloth.

Whenintroducing the end of a piece of cloth, the arms'18, 19, are thrown up, as

shown in Fig. 7, and after the end is placed securely upon and around roll 37, the arms are dropped again, as in Fig. 6.-

In Fig. 9, is shown a sliding cover 93 be- .l tweengibs 98 fast upon the vacuum chamber 9. This slide acts as a regulator and is operated by a` screwthreaded spindle 94, with a small hand-wheel 95"attached to it at-the end, where the spindle k94 is held in bearings at one of the uprights of the frame. As shown, this slide has been drawn past the perforations 96 drilled through the wall of -the vacuum chamber 9, exp holes. By moving this slide 93, either to.

or to expose them, a higher or a lower vacuum may be main" 883536, to cover the clot-h as' `1t passes over the slotted mouth of the vacuosing in all six cover these perforations,

tained within lthe chamber 9, according to the number of holes exposed to' the outer air. This regulator or slide permits, therefore to the class of goods under treatment. A11 though shown as attached .directly to the Yvacuum chamber I do not wish to limit my.

self to such direct attachment. This is a very desirable feature, as is'ialso the addition of tank 14 which can "be partially'lled with water. 99a is a guard to conduct any drip from the surface of the vacuum chamber over the pipe 97 so that it will ldrip, into the trough 14. y

In the operation of my machine inthe mill, the cloth cannot always be had when the useof a varying vacuum, according* wanted, and it frequently happensthat there is a period of no cloth, and thenagain a period of plenty of cloth, according to when a lot of cloth comes from the yvashers. Now, cloth fresh from the washer and reeking with water will be more easily' and more thoroughly extracted in a vacuum extractor than cloth that has vbeen waiting for some.

time to be taken to the vacuum extractor. In the latter case, the cloth ha's had a chance to drain ofl" a great portion o' its water, so that the upperportion of a big truck load of wet cloth may be fairly well drained while the lower portionof this same truck loadl may be quite full of water. pile of cloth is passed into` the machine, it will be found that'that portion of the cloth When such a 1 which has been partially drained will be less'well extracted. than the portion underlying it, which still contains a great amount of water, because the portion thatxhas been I drained will. allow moreair to pass along with the outgoing. water than the portion that is filled fuIlO-Water; hence, the wetter the goods immediately before-extracting, themore thoroughly will they be extracted, and

the .more they have become drained, the less eas willit be to extract them. By using a watertank 14, all cloth, whether it be well drained, or otherwise, is passed or drawn once more through a body of water and allowedto take up all it'wants to. before reach- Q ing 'the mouth of themachine thus facillf tating the extracting process and insuring v my machine consist, first, in combining with it means for opening the cloth from the rope form in which it comes from the washin machine, and an arrangement for intermittently stoppin and starting the feedrolls which lie 1n t e. path of the clothbefore it reaches the cradle in front of the machine, 'respectively the vacuum chamber, in

:order to properly take care of the slack of the cloth accumulating-between them "and the vacuum chamber; my next 'improvement consists in reducing as much as possible this stretch of the cloth by making the vacuum chamberv overhang the back draft-roll in order to shorten to a minimum the distance between the latter and the vacuum chamber. Further, in rewetting the cloth by taking it through a tank of water before reaching the vacuum chamber, in order to' insure greater thoroughness and uniformity of work; and, further, in the convenient and economical arrangement of using a detachable lclothcover with one end fastened toa roll or bar, located upon a swin' arm (as 18 or 19) but placed in advance o the ,mouth of the vacuum chamber, which cover maybe used up piecemeal; and, finally, in attaching a. slide 93 to' form a re justinggthe vacuum within the chamberLQ.

X Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to'secure by Letters Patentis: v

1. In a machine for extracting liquid from cloth, in combination, a vacuum chamber,

cloth, in'combination, a vacuum chamber, a set `of beaters to which the cloth'isdelivered from the washing machine in the form of a rope, means for rotating said beaters to partially open .the rope, and mechanism between said beaters and the vacuum chamber for opening the cloth its full width before it is fed-to said'chamber. i

2. lIn a machine for extracting liquid from cloth, in combination, a vacuum chamber, a

set of beaters toawhich the cloth is deliveredfrom the washing machine in the form of a rope, means for rotating said Vbeatersiopan.`

tially open the rope, a set ofscroll rolls for opening thecloth its full width,a 'draft roll.

for drawing' the cloth between' the beaters and scroll-rolls and delivering it tothe vacuum chamber.

3. In a machine for extracting liquid `from cloth, in combination, a vacuum .chamber,--a set of beaters to which the cloth-is' delivered i from .the washing machine in the forni 4otfa thel cloth between said ropemeans for rotating said beaters -to partiallyfopen therope, a set of scrollrolls for `opening the cloth its full width, and a swivel rigging for keeping the cloth vin a straight path, and a draft-roll for drawing I parts and delivering it tothe-,vacuum chamber.

' 4. In a machine for'extracti'ng liquid from cloth, in Y' combination,v a vacuum chamber,

lator for varyingand adber,

` from cloth, in combination, a vacuum cha mechanismfor opening the cloth from rope form to its full. width, a cradle, and a draftroll for delivering the cloth in full width to said cradle.

5. In a machine for extracting liquid from cloth, in combination, a .vacuum chamber, mechanism for opening the cloth from rope form to its full width, a cradle,.adraft1;ol l fordelivering the cloth in full width to saidcradle,l and a set of scroll-rolls interposed between the cradle and the vacuum chamber.

6. In a'emachine for extracting liquid from cloth, in combination, 'a vacuum chamber, mechanism for opening the cloth from rope form to its full width, a cradle, a draft-roll for delivering the cloth in full width to said cradle, a friction-roll and. a set of scrollrolls interposed between the cradle and thel vacuum chamber.

7. In a machine for extracting liquid, from form and means intermediate `said mernbera and said vacuum chamber whereby the cloth is loaded with' liquid. additional to thatA Awhichit already contains before reaching the machine. Y

8. In a machine for extractmg llquld from cloth, in combination, a vacuum chamber,

'members for opening the cloth from rope,

form and a water tank through Whi'chthe cloth is passed intermediate sai'd memb ers and said vacuum chamber. i 9.. In amachine forextractlng llquld from means for opening the cloth from rope form to full width, means for delivering the same to the vacuum chamber, and other means for taking it awayfrom the, vacuum chamber, all in one lcontinuous operation. i 10. In a machine for extract-ing l1qu1d from cloth, in combination, a'vacuum chamber, members for opening the cloth from,`

:rope'form to full width, a draft-roll fori drawing the cloth between and past said members, means for-intermittently rotatmg said roll, a draft-roll lfor drawing the cloth from the-vacuum chamber, and .means-.for

4continuously rotating said last named` roll.

11. In a machine `forjextracting liquid fromfcloth, in combination, a vacuum chamrope' 'form to fullfwi th, two" draft-rolls onev before and' the other beyond the' vacuum chamber, means for vcontinuously operating ber, membersl'r opening the cloth from rope vform lto full width, a draft -roll for drawing v'the cloth between and past-said members, a draft-roll for drawin the cloth los members for o ening .f the cloth 'from'.`

A- machine for extracting liquid .1-

over and past the -.vacuum `chain ely-"and a 13V' over and Vpast the vacuum chamber, a power shaft for operating said opening lmembers and draft-rolls continuously, and additional means for vintermittently interrupting the rst named draft-roll.

14. In a machine for extracting liquid from cloth, in combination, a vacuum chamber, members for opening the cloth from rope form to full width, a draft-roll forv drawing the cloth between and past said members, a clutch for connect-ing and disconnecting said roll with its driving mecha.

nism, and means for continuously drawing the cloth over and past the vacuum chamber.

15. In a mahine for extracting liquid from cloth, in combination, a vacuum 'chamber, members for opening the cloth from rope form to full width, a draft-roll, a cradle interposed between said draft-roll and the vacuum chamber, and means for continuously drawing the cloth over and past the vacuum chamber.`

16. A machine for extracting liquid from cloth, comprising a vacuum chamber having its mouth offset relatively to its body.

17. A machine for extracting liquid 'from cloth, comprising a vacuum chamber havin an inclined top wall overhanging the body of thechamber.

18. A machine for extracting liquid from cloth comprising a vacuum chamber having its mouth to one side of the vertical axis through said chamber.

19.'In a machine for extracting wliquid from cloth, in combination, a vacuum chamber, a draft-roll, the portion of said vacuum chamber containing the mouth overhanging said roll.

l20. In a machine for extracting liquid from cloth, in combination, a vacuum chamber, a flexible covr adapted to overlie the` cloth and the mouth of said chamber, and a holder to which one end of said cover is fastened, said roll or bar .being placed in advance ,of the mouth of the vacuum chain;

ber. 21. In a machine for extracting liquid from cloth, in combination, a vacuum chamber, an exhaust connected therewith and an air inlet whereby the maximum capacity of the exhaust may be reduced. p

22. In' a machine. for extracting liquid from cloth, in combination, a vacuum chamber, said vacuum chamber having an opening, other than the slotted mouth of the chamber, leading to the atmosphere, and means for wholly or partially closing said opening.

23. In a machine for extracting liquid from cloth, in combination, means for opening the cloth from rope form, a rest for the slack of opened cloth, a vacuum chamber and guides from the rest to the vacuum chamber.

` 24. In a machine for extractin liquid from cloth, in combination, `means fr opening the cloth from rope form, a rest for the slack of opened cloth, a vacuum chamber and a tension between the rest and the vacuum chamber.A

25. In a machine for extractingliquid from cloth, in combination, means for opening the cloth from rope form, a rest for the slack of opened cloth, a vacuum chamber and a spreader between the rest and the,

vacuum chamber. u y

26. In a machine for extracting liquid lfrom cloth, in combination, mechanism for opening the cloth from rope form containing a feed, a vacuum chamber, a draft roll cooperating therewith and means whereby said feed may be arrested while said draft roll proceeds.

27. In a machine for extracting liquid from cloth, in combination, mechanism for opening the cloth from rope form containing a feed, a vacuum chamber, a draft roll coperating therewith, means whereby said feed -may be arrested ywhile said draft roll proceeds and an intermediate slack rest.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

y f DAVID GESSNER. Witnesses: s

.FRANK E'. RAFFMAN CHARLES S. JONES. 

